Lapsed lingua I think it's great that so few people there speak English. The road's a little rougher, but then, if you were staying at the hotel in Rome that your travel agent suggested, wallowing in the luxury of a tourist industry catering perfectly to English speakers, then you probably wouldn't have had--wouldn't have been able to have--any dreams [i]in[/i] Italian. And you'd get to leave Italy understanding no more than the Italian one learns from placing an order at Starbucks. But until you're proficient in the language, you might find this to come in handy: store DOT artlebedev DOT com/catalog/t-shirts/2007/phrase-book/.
Keep blogging and snapping photos, it's been interesting.
And as for that cat picture, there are no words in human language adequate to describe the INCOMPARABLE, SUPREMELY TRANSCENDENT SUBLIMITY of it. Seriously though, don't delete the original full-res version of that photo; when you're back Stateside, I'm having as large a print as possible made from it. Pic is too funny.
postcard i know i never sent you one, but you were always a thought in mine. i am very upset i have yet to receive one. since rome is my first love i expect one to arrive at 156 west 77, #2a, ny, ny 10024 in the next week.
Language and other things A couple of comments on language and dialects ... they also use angurias in Milan and I think of cocomero as a Tuscuan word (which the Tuscans pronounce hohomero since they exchange the hard c for an h) ... there's a song by a group who sings in Milanese dialect called Gli Svampa called Se Ghan di Di you should get someone to explain the words to you, it's funny (but old, like from the '70s) ... and there's a saying in Venetian dialect I can teach you which is MI GHO NO GLI SGHEI ... you can ask Amanda what it means.
How long the learning of the language process takes ... I arrived in Milan not knowing any Italian except for two years of rudimentary college Italian and they put me on the switchboard of the office I worked in the first day, yet it took me SIX months to understand what they were saying to each other and A FULL YEAR to be able to speak Italian at the rate the Italians did ...
if it's of any comfort.
Un abbraccio, Leslina
Her hairy armpit So you know in old movies that you had to you to watch for French class there was always some crazy horrid looking charecter with crossed eyes and wretched set of teeth. This was her! CREEPSVILLE!!! God she was totally gross with that armpit in my face. She really truly trapped us. And God she was so rude...it was literally out of a movie. Just standing there staring as if this is somehtign that happens to her all the time. People stealing her seat. I mena did she think we were goign to refuse to get up. Still aggrivated about it!
Abe Abeling and dirty pigeons in Venezia, look out! "Abe Abeling: International Man of Absolutely Nothing. But always a mystery."
Well said. Ha ha. I enjoyed this blog the most, good stuff. And those damn pigeons in Piazza San Marco irked the shit of me when I was there. Just wondering, do pigeons serve any greater purpose other than shitting on hapless tourists and procreating in record numbers? I understand they have provided temporary solace and companionship to the likes of Mike Tyson and the Ghostdog guy (both inevitably went crazy). A useless animal in my book.
Anyway, keep the blog going, Beef Patty.
La Festa del Redentore When I had quit my job in Italy after three years and had taken some time to chill out before leaving Italy, my roommate Mariangela told me that her friend Giuseppe was going to lo sposalizio col mare, the colloquial term for La Festa del Redentore, and my comment was MA che e' chi si sposa che invita tanta gente a loro sconosciuta? The comment will make Italian-speaking people laugh.
Dropping everything and going to Italy is definitely the best idea you've ever had. Ohhhhhhhhhh, we have got to trade places! Italy looks awesome. I am sitting in an office with no windows staring at a computer screen with no escape from the piped-in muzak (currently: Madonna's Lucky Star) waiting for the day to end. Woe is I.
Salsiccia Sir, what is the deal with the ground meats you are eating? I don't understand. Have you changed your whole philosophy on pig? Will steak be next?
stuzzicadenti My friend Fran from Chicago, who lived in Italy (Pavia where I lived) for seven years but didn't learn any Italian used to say to me: it takes so long to say an Italian word as opposed to the English one ... like walk is CAMMINARE; ashtray is PORTACENERE; toothpick is STUZZICADENTE ... you ge the picture.
piggy piggy piggy you're gonna be a porker come september. sounds swell. Only thing to do when you arrive is bleach away the built up New York grime, so week one sounds like you were on the right track-- cleansing by wine then bleaching by the sun. You'll be bright and fresh soon enough. Highly anticipating the first DJ Mortadella gig blog.
Mangia, mangia Eating well, drinking well, living, breathing in the italian life is good for the soul. Tough to decide what to do when everything is good :)
I hope you get some writing in while you are there. Your first blog is good. I can't wait to see how they transform over the next three months. You'd be more italian than english soon enough.
You and Amanda look real happy in these pix too. Keep soaking in the life, food and wine. Peace, Juan
It was August, September, October, November, December 2006 when Amanda and I talked of quitting New York and moving to Italy. Always it was "next year, save up, we'll make time next year to do it." Winter 2007 turned into spring and there we were at dinner on Seventh Avenue one late April evening when we said what the heck are we waiting for, the time is now. So we quit. And we moved out. Now we're in Veneto, IT and life ain't bad.
I know you've thought about the same and you've got tons of excuses why you can't travel the world for more than your vacation allotment. Well, all excuses... full info
jenmumm
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oh, and...
send me some PG tips, that's my fave!!